The invention relates to an assembly, in particular a camera assembly, for a motor vehicle, wherein the assembly comprises a carrier housing, which is disposed in an opening in an exterior paneling of the vehicle, and which has a through-hole, a drive unit, which is attached to the back surface of the carrier housing, a movably supported camera unit, which can be moved by means of the drive unit between at least a standby position and an active position, in which at least the lens of the camera unit protrudes out of the through-hole in the carrier housing and which is oriented at a slant to the movement direction of the camera unit, a protective lid movably supported on the carrier housing, which can move between a closed position, in which it closes the through-hole in the carrier housing, and in which the camera is disposed, seen from the outside, behind the protective lid, and an open position, in which it opens the through-hole in the carrier housing, wherein an actuating element, movably coupled to the drive unit, is provided, which forces the protective lid into the open position when the vehicle is driven in reverse and when the camera unit is in the active position.
In order to back into a parking space safely, observation of the rearward space behind the vehicle is essential. The rearview mirrors only provide the vehicle driver with an insufficient range of observation because the rearview mirrors do not enable vision of the so-called blind spot. By means of a camera unit, images are displayed on a monitor disposed in the vehicle interior, including images that cannot be seen by a vehicle driver with the rearview mirrors, such that the vehicle driver has a nearly complete overview of the region in which the vehicle is to move when backing into a parking space. Devices having a camera unit that serves to record images of the region outside a vehicle are already known from the prior art. These devices comprise a housing, in which the camera is movably accommodated between a retraction position and an operating position. By way of example, these camera units are used as an aid for parking vehicles, as indicated above. If, for example, the vehicle is shifted into reverse, the camera is moved from the retraction position into the operating position, wherein the camera unit protrudes, at least in part, out of the housing. As a result, the region behind the motor vehicle is recorded in images, and displayed on a monitor for the driver. Once the backing up is complete, and the driver shifts out of the reverse gear, the camera can again pivot out of the operating position into the retraction position.
An assembly of the type specified in the introduction is known, for example, from DE 102 04 764 A1. The placement of the camera unit behind a protective element, or a protective lid, when in the inactive position, has the advantage that the camera unit, and in particular the lens of the camera unit, are protected from dirt and moisture. With the assembly corresponding to DE 102 04 764 A1, the camera unit is located behind an opening in the body panel of the vehicle, wherein the opening is closed by the pivotable protective lid when the camera unit is in the inactive position. In order to record images, the camera unit is then displaced linearly, by means of a motor, via a carriage, wherein the protective lid is pivoted upward via a push rod, which is connected to the pivotable protective lid and the displaceable camera unit, as a result of the linear displacement of the camera unit, such that the opening is opened, and the camera unit is then driven, at least in part, out of the opening, in order to record images. This type of known camera assembly is structurally very complex, and thus, due to the complex displacement and pivotal mechanisms, is prone to malfunction. Furthermore, the known assembly no longer fulfills the increasing demands for comfort from the customer in the world of today, and furthermore, exhibits only limited functionality of a view of the rearward space behind the vehicle visualized by the driver when backing into a parking space.
EP 1 529 688 A1 shows a device of a different type, where the camera is non-rotatably disposed on the back surface of a hinged protective element. When the protective element is pivoted upward, the camera is pivoted therewith. The camera moving together therewith in this manner increases, in a disadvantageous manner, the mass of the protective element, for which reason greater torques are necessary for executing its hinged motion.
The object of the invention is to create a solution that provides an assembly for a vehicle in a simple constructive manner, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and with which the disadvantages specified above are eliminated. In particular, an assembly should be provided that offers the user increased comfort and increases the value of the vehicle.